Winter Camping.....

Winter Camping......yes, we are crazy....but as you can tell by the photos, we have a lot of fun! Chris and I do this each year during his work shutdown between Christmas and New Year's! We TENT camp! yep....tent! We do take an electric blanket and we do have a heater in our tent...so it isn't as bad as it seems! We do a lot of camping and we have camping gear for every season of the year. We like winter camping because we are the ONLY ones in the campground...so we go down by the lake, set up camp......play games, walk along the waters edge, trails and watch the sun go down,and the sun come up! We got to use some of our new Christmas gifts to cook dinner with and this morning we went to Denny's for breakfast! Always a treat....(I think)! Just being along...no kiddos hanging off our legs....some alone time with just nothing but the geese honking is sooo relaxing! Just us and nature......even if it is short lived it does the mind, body and spirit good! We need that time......I love this time of year when we can do this. It really refreshes me!

This afternoon I met a friend of mine.....little Daniel to give him a Christmas kitten! He was a little shy at first...but I am more than sure he warmed up once he was in the truck with his daddy and his new little kitten! The smile on his face was priceless! I love when my kitties go to good homes, and I was pretty attached to this litter because I knew it would be my last Siamese litter......so I was pretty particular about who they went to! I do have two left!! :-)))

You can visit the Uhrick family at http://journey-to-family.spaces.live.com/ . Cindy is getting ready to go on a missions trip back to Guatemala.....I am so excited for her.

This evening we got a treat as well.....my dearest friend, Amanda, came over to watch Lyza while Chris and I went out to dinner....ALONE! We got a gift certificate for Christmas and I knew I would feel terrible asking Madisyn to babysit while we went out to eat once she was home......so reliable Amanda came to my rescue and had fun watching Lyza. Though I am not sure what she fed her cause it is now 11 pm and she's still in her crib bouncing off the walls. Just remember that Amanda......I'll be able to pay you back soon!!!!! You can visit Amanda's blog at http://thegidcumbs.blogspot.com/ ! THANKS Amanda...you are a jewel. We really appreciate it and I can't wait to spend the day with you on Friday! Looking forward to a girls day out.......and "Marley and Me"!!

Tomorrow we are heading to my parents to ring in the New Year! Should be fun....my mom asked all of us kids to each bring 10 $1.00 bills....I think Brandon and Chris are convinced there will be strippers there. They could only hope! :-) Should be some fun times....we are going to hang out with family and friends back home. I am looking forward to it! I love being back home.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S TO YOU ALL!

I AM SURE I WILL HAVE INTERESTING PICTURES TO POST FROM OUR FAMILY GET TOGETHER! :-)

The aftermath of Christmas

The aftermath of Christmas is always awesome.....well, to the children anyway! I managed to get my tree down and decorations down while Lyza was sleeping on Saturday and Chris was away helping some co workers on a project outside of work. I felt much better to get things organized. On the flip side...the weather was 75 degrees so Lyza was able to go outside and play with all her outside toys for the day! How fun! I bet she is just as confused by this weather as the rest of us are!!! Yesterday was in the 50's so we took her out again to ride her new four wheeler from Nonny and Paw. She is slowly getting the hang of it.

Madisyn is doing well in Pennsylvania. I got to hear her and her dad playing the Guitar Hero III last night.......the drumming, and singing! Ahhh....music to a mothers ears! ha! She is doing well...but I look forward to her returning home also!

Today Chris and I are going camping....yes, camping. Tent camping! We normally have the park all to ourselves and stay by the lake. It is our one night/day of total peace and quiet with nothing but the birds and the water splashing to hear! I'll be sure and post pic's!

Have a wonderful week!

Misty

Maddy videotaping everything with her new camera!

Chris trying out the Wii Fit! Maddy kicked his butt in everything! Whoops...bet I wasn't supposed to tell!

Madisyn didn't get anything!!!!!!!!!!

Lyza didn't get anything either!!!!!!!!!

Christmas at Nonny and Paw's!

Finally...this is the last of the Christmas Party blogs! These were taken on Christmas afternoon at my mom and dad's. Ahhh....back home, where I am the happiest! We had a wonderful day.....Brandon had the flu and was in bed when we arrived....but the smell of dad's ham got him up in a hurry! We had a wonderful dinner, followed by a visit from Santa and then the chaos of wrapping paper thrown everywhere, some opening gifts that weren't theirs........and just lots and lots of chaos. Just the way I love it!! The highlight for me was LaRissa opening her gift from me.......a cabbage patch doll that looked like Lyza :-))) Now she can stop coloring her dolls! We had a wonderful day.....we are blessed!